The Lorelei Signal
' |image= |series= |production=22006 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Margaret Armen |director=Hal Sutherland |imdbref=tt0832423 |guests= |previous_production=The Survivor |next_production=One of Our Planets Is Missing |episode=TAS A04 |airdate=9 September 1973 |previous_release=One of Our Planets Is Missing |next_release=More Tribbles, More Troubles |story_date(s)=Stardate 5483.7 |previous_story=One of Our Planets Is Missing |next_story=More Tribbles, More Troubles }} =Summary= The Enterprise investigates a sector of space where starships have been disappearing every 27.346 years. A strangely compelling musical signal lures the Enterprise to a remote planet in the Taurean system some 20 light-years distance. The music works on the men of the Enterprise, affecting their judgement and causing them to experience euphoric hallucinations. Captain Kirk, First Officer Spock, Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy, and Lieutenant Carver beam down to the source of the signals. Arriving on the planet surface they discover the inhabitants are a race of beautiful women who want to celebrate their arrival. They are given drink which they discover is drugged as they begin to fall unconscious. When they awake, they find themselves in a weakened state brought about by rapid aging. They discover headbands locked around their foreheads which somehow transmit their life-force to the bodies of the women, who are growing in strength. On board the Enterprise, Communications Officer Lt. Uhura talks with Nurse Chapel about the men's condition and comes to the conclusion that she must take command due to the irrational behavior of Chief Engineer Scott and the other men. Back on the planet, Kirk and his party manage to gather enough strength to escape to a spacious garden and hide inside a tall urn. They discover that the pace of their loss of strength correlates with the proximity of the women. Rather than just wait to be found or just die, they decide that Spock should go back alone and attempt to find a communicator and contact the ship since he has not deteriorated as much as the others. Spock is able to complete his task and orders Uhura to come down with an all-female rescue party. Uhura beams down with Chapel and a female security force and quickly stun the now-aggressive women with their phasers then compel them to help rescue the men after being told the story of how the Taurean women came to be in their current situation. Back on the Enterprise, the aging process is stopped with the removal of the headbands, but they cannot find a treatment that will restore their original age until Spock comes up with the idea of using their original transporter patterns from when they first beamed down. Uhura returns to the planet, and witnesses the Taurean leader, Theela, destroying the device that had been luring starships, stating that Uhura should tell Kirk she kept her side of the bargain. Uhura informs them that a ship of women will return to bring them to a habitable world and that the women's bodies should return to normal in a few months. =Errors and Explanations= Nit Central # Benn (Benn) on Saturday, January 06, 2007 - 2:48 am: "Vulcan marriage drums"? In Amok Time we saw bells and a gong, but I don't remember any drums at Spock and T'Pring's wedding ceremony. These were probably intended for the actual ceremony, which never took place because T'Pring issued her challenge. # When addressing the landing party, why does Theela neglect to welcome Lt. Carver? Lack of seniority? # For that matter, why is her greeting, "Welcome James Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock"? Kirk is the only who Theela addresses by his full name. The other two are addressed by titles. She instantly identified Kirk as more suitable for her purpose than Spock and McCoy. # McCoy makes a reference to Saurian Brandy. I wonder if there was any problem from the NBC censors about the mention of an alcoholic beverage in a children's show? This is not a problem, as The Animated Series was never actually a children's show per se, and McCoy does use alcoholic beverages for medicinal purposes. # How does Kirk know the structure the landing party hides in is an urn? As tall as it is, there's no way for the Captain to see the top of it and learn it is hollow. For all he knows, it's some kind of Taurean abstract sculpture. He made an educated guess. # Why is Spock telling Nurse Chapel to order Engineering to divert all of the ship's energies to the deflector shields? Shouldn't he be giving that order to Uhura, who's in command of the Enterprise now? Uhura may not be available to relay the order in time. =Sources= Category:The Animated Series Category:Episodes